DE3236540A1 - TAMPON FOR WOMEN'S HYGIENE AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF - Google Patents

Abstract

A tampon for feminine hygiene consists of a cylindrically-compressed length of a strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or a combination thereof which is wrapped with an overlap in a fluff-free or fuzz free covering material, said strip being cut into the required lengths together with the covering material perpendicularly to the overlap line, and a recovery thread attached to the length of a strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or a combination thereof. The problem which the invention solves is to prevent fibers from breaking loose from the exposed cut edges. According to the invention, the exposed cut edges are folded onto the surface of the length of a strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or a combination thereof after it has been separated and compression is carried out in such a way that the exposed cut edges are situated inside the tampon.

Description

«3. HENKELKGaA

Henkelstrasse 67
4000 Düsseldorf, September 29th, 1982 ZR-FE / patents

Boron / C

Patent application D 6658

"Tampon for feminine hygiene and its manufacturing process " _______

The invention relates to a tampon for feminine hygiene from a wrapped in an overlapping with a lint-free wrapping material and then just like the wrapping material approximately vertically to the overlap line separated cotton tape section, which is applied with a parallel or perpendicular to the overlap line Return thread equipped and with reference to the overlap line is pressed radially and / or axially. She relates also to a method for manufacturing the tampon.

In the case of tampons that have been used up to now, fibers or cotton wool can be used remain in the vagina. Attempts have therefore been made to use the fibrous cotton tape section in the manufacture of tampons to encase fluid-tight. A corresponding covering can e.g.

made of rayon, synthetic fibers or any mixture these materials, preferably as nonwovens, exist. For example tampons are manufactured using a process in which the rectangular section of cotton tape is wrapped in nonwoven and the associated return thread or the return cord is sewn on in the longitudinal direction of the cotton wool tape. The pressing can then be radial with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cotton swab and / or take place axially »With radial compression, a W-shaped fold, i.e. a fold with four layers, is preferred. However, the process does not allow the tampon to be wrapped around the cut edges, i.e. at the tampon head and tampon end, so that fibers can peel off here - i.e. penetrate the cotton tape outwards.

Patent application D 6658 - X ^ - (/ HENKELKGaA

'ZR-FE / Patents

Another used to make tampons In the process, the cotton tape is wrapped in nonwoven and then cut into rectangular sections. The The length of the section to be compressed is given by the width of the cotton swab. So the retrieval thread will not placed parallel but perpendicular to the overlap line of the wrapping material. With this method, too, a W-shaped Preferred folding of the wrapped cotton tape section,. however, the fold lines are parallel to the free cut edges lie. This ensures that the free cut edges of the head and end of the tampon are essentially on it cylindrical circumferential surface are laid; there the edges are still open. Especially after expansion of the tampon when absorbing liquid can therefore when removing Fibers are pulled from the cut edges.

The invention is based on the object of creating a tampon completely covered with a lint-free material in such a way that that fiber material cannot be peeled off in use. It particularly refers to it through special folding to ensure a lint-proof full covering of the manufactured tampon of a covered cotton tape section.

For the tampon of a cotton tape section wrapped in an overlapping manner with a lint-proof covering material, the inventive method consists The solution is that the free cut edges running perpendicular to the overlap line open before pressing the surface of the wrapped cotton tape section are folded and that the folded cut edges are compressed inside the Body lying. The inventive method for producing such a tampon consists in that after separation

Sd 230/438539 08.08.81

Patent application D 6658 - j / - ζ 'HENKELKGaA

ZR-FE / patents

of the overlapping covered cotton tape section remaining free cut edges are knocked in with the help of folding sheets and pressed in by calender rollers and that the section is then folded and pressed so that the Schnittig edges lie within the compressed body. Improvements and further developments of the invention are given in the subclaims.

With the invention, a full encapsulation of the tampon is achieved in that the after wrapping of the cotton tape with a lint-free (i.e. also lint-proof compared to the material of the cotton tape) material created free cut edges also placed on the "surface of the wrapped cotton swab and pressed there. In the manufacturing process, a corresponding operation is to be included in which the separated and covered cotton tape section, preferably in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cotton tape a guide belt continues and there with the help of guide plates is folded over at the free cut edges and pressed. All other operations during the manufacture of the tampon can be then follow in the usual way essentially unchanged.

Patent application D 6658 - # - Qt HENKELKGaA

ZR-FE / patents

Details of the invention are explained on the basis of the schematic representation of exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Pig. 1 to 4 the manufacturing process of a tampon up to

Folding over the free cut edges; 5 to 8 show the manufacturing process when pressing the tampon

with the return thread running parallel to the free cutting edges;

9 to 10 show an additional fold of the wrapped cotton tape section before pressing; 11 to 16 the splitting and pressing of the tampon with wadding reinforcement at the head or at the end; and

17 to 19 show the production of a tampon with a wadding reinforcement at the head and tail.

According to FIGS. 1 to 4, successive in the direction of the arrow Manufacturing steps a cotton swab 1 on a lint-free and dense against lint of the cotton swab Material existing tape 2 is fed to a folding station in which the tape from the wrapping material 2 is wrapped around the cotton tape 1 is that it is along an overlap line 3 on the longitudinal edges covered. The cotton tape 1 covered in this way is then elongated to a cutting station, where covered cotton tape sections 4 2 are separated with free cut edges 5 and 6. The non-fluffy wrapping material 2 should be relatively low Weight per unit area, preferably less than 15 g / m 2.

The lint-free wrapped cotton tape sections 4 except for the free cut edges 5 and 6 now run perpendicular to the previous one Transport direction in a device with not shown folding plates, through which a wrapping of the free

Sd 230/438539 5.08.81

Patent application D 6658 - JS- f / HENKELKGaA

ZR-FE / patents

Cut edges 5 and 6 in the in Fig-. 3 and 4 achieved "manner shown schematically in cross section and in plan view will. The overlap line 3 created in the manufacturing phase according to FIG. 1 is then approximately perpendicular to the by folding over the free cut edges 5 and 6 resulting fold lines 7 and 8. The fold lines are useful 7 and 8 pressed by a calender roll. The size of the impact 9 can be chosen arbitrarily. The impact can e.g. be up to a sixth of the distance 10 between the fold lines 7 and 8. But it is also an overlap, among other things this impact is possible. Depending on the depth of the impact 9 and the further processing, the remaining dimensions are, namely the distance 10 of the folding lines 7 and 8 and the Length 11 of FIG. 4 and the weight per unit area of the cotton swab 1 used.

There are various options for further processing. According to FIGS. 5 to 8 and 9 and 10, the withdrawal thread Applied parallel to the fold lines 7 and 8 on the wrapped cotton tape section 4, preferably sewn on. According to 11 to 19, the withdrawal thread is perpendicular to the fold lines 7 and 8, that is, parallel to the overlap line 3> auf.den coated cotton tape section 4 applied.

In the manufacturing method according to FIGS. 5 to 8, the wrapped and wrapped at the free cut edges 5 and 6 is wrapped as well as cotton tape section 4 provided with a withdrawal thread in the direction of arrow 13 in the manner indicated in FIGS. 5 to 8, e.g. in a chamber with the help of two round jaws 14. This creates a W-shaped fold 15 in the interior the free cutting edges 5 and 6 lie. The emerging

Patent application D 6658 - 6 ^ - § * HENKELKGaA

' ZR-FE / Patents

round pressed tampon 16 is shown in Fig. 8 in cross section. The tampon 16 can then also be pressed in the usual way in the axial direction - perpendicular to the plane of the drawing will. It is full of lint-free or lint-proof on the surfaces that come into contact with the vagina walls Material enveloped.

Another way of folding the tampon is into the 9 and 10 shown. Here, the wrapped cotton tape section tucked in at the free cut edges 5 and 6 is removed 4 before pressing additionally in the longitudinal direction - around one that runs parallel to the cutting edges 5 and 6 Fold line 17 - folded again so that the cut edges and 6 are inside. To fix the then lying on top of each other The return thread 12 is preferably sewn asymmetrically on surfaces according to FIG. 10. This will keep the pages together. At the same time it is achieved that with a partial wrapping 9 inside the tampon a minimum of wrapping material 2 lies. The pressing to form the tampon then takes place again in the usual axial direction, so that here too a full envelope of the resulting tampon is guaranteed.

While in the process steps described so far, tampons with essentially evenly distributed absorbent material can be created by changing, e.g. by 90 ° deflection, of the covered cotton tape section 4, also a Tampon with relatively more cotton wool content on the head and / or at the end than in the rest of the tampon - of course while maintaining the Full coating - produce. The dimensions of the cotton tape section 4 to be used must of course meet the requirements be adjusted. Corresponding procedural sections are given in

Sd 230/438539 05.08 81

Patent application D 6658 - y ^ - Y- HENKELKGaA

ZR-FE / patents

Fig. 11 Ms 19 shown schematically. Essentially it is a question of the retrieval thread 18 not parallel but essentially perpendicular to the free one that has been taken Apply cut edges 5 and 6 to the wrapped cotton tape section 4. This is done before attaching the retrieval thread 18 another deflection of the cotton tape section 4 before it enters the machine used to apply the return thread, especially sewing machine required.

If, according to Pig. 11 is assumed this can first be folded up (similar to FIG. 9) so that the intermediate product 19 according to Pig. 12 is created. The return thread 18 is either sewn onto this in such a way that, according to Pig. 13 protrudes beyond the fold line 17 or according to Pig. 15 protrudes beyond the fold line 7 and 8, respectively. After pressing, either a tampon is definitely created zone 20 according to FIG. 14 on the tampon head or a tampon with a safety zone 21 at the lower end according to Pig. 16.

If, however, the splitting of the cotton tape section 4 at the transition ■ between Pig. 11 and 12 are omitted and according to FIG. 17 on the unfolded but folded over at the free cut edges 5 and 6, enveloped cotton tape section 4 of the retrieval thread 18 - applied approximately parallel to the overlap line 3 - according to FIG. 18, In this way, according to FIG. 19, a tampon with cotton wool reinforcement is produced both on the tampon head 22 and on the tampon end 23.

Patent application D 6658 - ^ - ή Ο «HENKELKGaA

ZR-FE / patents

Reference list

1 = Cotton tape 2 = Envelope material 3 = Overlap line 4 = Cotton tape section 5, 6 = free cutting line 7, 8 = Fold lines 9 = A hit. 1Q = Distance 7/8 11 = length 12 = Retrieval thread 13 = ' Direction of arrow 14 = Round jaws 15 = ¥ folding 16 = tampon 17 = raltlinie 18 = Retrieval thread 19 = Intermediate product 20, 21 = Security zone 22 = Tampon head 23 = Tampon end

Sd 230/438539 05.08 81

Blank page

Claims (9)

Patent application D 6658 - ßf - HENKELKGaA ZR-FE / patent claims First A tampon for feminine hygiene consisting of a wrapped in an overlapping lint-free wrapping material (2) and then, like the wrapping material, separated approximately perpendicular to the overlap line (3). Cotton tape section (4) equipped with a return thread (12, 18) applied parallel or perpendicular to the overlap line (3) and pressed radially and / or axially with respect to the overlap line (3), characterized in that the perpendicular to the überlappli- "nie (3) running free cut edges (5> 6) are folded before pre-pressing on the surface of the wrapped cotton tape section (4) and that the folded cut edges (5> 6) are inside the pressed body. 2. Tampon according to claim 1, characterized in that the umgefalte'ten cut edges (5 ₉ 6) cover up to about 1/6 of the wrapped cotton tape section (4). 3. Tampon according to claim 1, characterized in that the folded over cut edges (5, 6) cover the wrapped cotton tape section (4) in an overlapping manner. 4. Tampon according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the folded cut edges (5, 6) are adapted to the surface of the wrapped cotton tape section (4). 5. Tampon according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized by a W-shaped folding and pressing in Direction transverse to the overlap line (3) (Fig. 7). Patent application D 6658 - ^ - ^ ' HENKELKGaA ZR-FE / patents 6. Tampon according to one or more of claims 1 to 4 characterized by a simple fold (17) parallel to the free cut edges (5, 6) and asymmetrically but parallel to the cut edges applied withdrawal thread (12) (Fig. 9). 7. Tampon according to one or more of claims 1 to 4 characterized by a return thread (18) applied perpendicular to the free cut edges (5, 6) and a subsequent one Pressing in the direction of the cut edges (5, 6) (Fig. 13 or 15) 8. The method for producing a tampon according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the free cut edges (5, 6) remaining after the overlapping, wrapped cotton tape section (4) has been severed With the help of folding sheets and pressed by calender rollers and that the cotton tape section (4) then so is folded and pressed so that the cut edges (5, 6) lie within the pressed body. 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the covered cotton tape section (4) after the separation of the cotton swab (1) is transported further in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the swab (1) to the device with the folding plates (Fig. 2, 3). Sd 230/438539 08.08.81